# NoTrace Chat > Anonymous secure chat app with end-to-end encryption, no signup, and no phone number. Free Signal alternative that works in any browser. Two people share a secret code, exchange messages encrypted on their devices, and the messages leave no trace on any server. NoTrace Chat is a free anonymous chat app and end-to-end encrypted messenger. It is positioned as a lightweight Signal alternative for people who want to start a private encrypted conversation without creating an account, sharing a phone number, or installing an app. It runs in any modern browser and as a native Android app; an iOS build is in progress. There is no signup, no email, no phone number, no profile, no contact list. Two parties agree on a short secret code out of band (in person, by another messenger, or by QR scan on mobile). Both clients derive the same AES-GCM encryption key from that code, exchange messages as ciphertext through Firestore, and decrypt locally on the receiver's device. Messages can be unsent for everyone by the sender or hidden locally by the receiver. The product is published by Teamz Lab. ## Core pages - [Web app — anonymous secure chat in your browser](https://notracechat.teamzlab.com/): launch the chat client, generate a secret code, or join an existing chat with a code. - [Android app on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.teamzlab.no_trace_code_chat): native Android client with push notifications, offline cache, and keychain-backed key storage. ## What people use NoTrace Chat for - Anonymous secure chat with someone you do not want to add to a contact list. - Sending an encrypted message to a one-time recipient without exchanging numbers. - Quick private chat across devices when you do not want to install yet another messenger. - A free Signal alternative or Telegram alternative that does not require a phone number or email. - Sharing self-destructing messages that the sender can unsend for everyone. ## How it works - Open the web app or the Android app. - Tap "Start Secret Chat" to generate a random code, or pick your own. Share the code out of band with the person you want to talk to. - They tap "Join with Code" and paste it. You are now both in a private encrypted room. - Each message is encrypted with AES-GCM on the sender's device using a key derived from the shared code (HKDF). The server only stores ciphertext, nonce, MAC, and timestamp. - The receiver's device pulls the ciphertext, decrypts locally, and displays the plaintext. - Sender can "Unsend" — server document is set to `state: deleted`, message disappears for both sides. - Receiver can "Hide for me" — message ID added to per-device hidden list in secure storage; sender's view is unaffected. ## Key features - Anonymous secure chat — no identity, no contact list - End-to-end encrypted messenger (AES-GCM with per-chat keys derived from the shared code) - No signup, no registration, no email, no phone number - Free anonymous messaging, no ads, no paywall - Secret code sharing — pick your own or generate a random one - QR code share + scan on mobile - Self-destructing messages — sender unsends, receiver hides - Topic rooms — group chats joined via a topic code - Read receipts (opt-in for the sender) - Reply-to-message and emoji reactions - Cross-platform: browser, Android, iOS (in progress) - Localized into 18 languages - Dark and light themes following the system preference ## Compared to other secure messengers - **Signal**: NoTrace Chat does not require a phone number or any account; Signal does. NoTrace Chat trades Signal's contact-graph features for true anonymity. - **Telegram**: Telegram chats are encrypted in transit, but only Secret Chats are end-to-end encrypted, and they require a phone number. NoTrace Chat is end-to-end encrypted by default and requires nothing. - **WhatsApp**: WhatsApp is end-to-end encrypted but requires a phone number and is owned by Meta. NoTrace Chat keeps zero identifiers and is run by an independent publisher. - **Confide / Wickr**: Similar disappearing-message angle. NoTrace Chat works in a plain browser tab without an install, and the secret-code model means no account exists at all. ## Privacy posture - The browser build stores encryption keys in the browser's local storage; this is less secure than the native app's OS keychain. Users with strict privacy needs are nudged toward the Android app via a persistent banner on the home screen. - No third-party analytics or trackers in the production web bundle. - Google reCAPTCHA v3 runs invisibly as part of Firebase App Check (no checkbox, no puzzle); it observes browser behavior to score bots and does receive page-load metadata. - Firebase Analytics is initialized for crash and lifecycle tracking with PII collection disabled. - Firestore Security Rules cap field sizes (codeHash <= 256, ciphertext <= 16 KB, nonce <= 64, MAC <= 128) so abusive payloads are rejected at the server. ## Pricing - Free. - No subscription, no ads, no paywall. - The web build grants unlimited messaging credits because there is no in-app purchase path on web; abuse is mitigated by Firestore rule shape limits and App Check. ## Tech - Flutter app (single codebase: web, Android, iOS in progress). - Firebase: Auth (anonymous), Cloud Firestore (ciphertext storage), App Check, Hosting. - Encryption: AES-GCM via the `cryptography` Dart package, HKDF for key derivation from the shared code. ## Frequently asked - **Is anonymous chat actually anonymous?** — NoTrace Chat does not collect any identifier. There is no account, no email, no phone, no profile. Network observers can still see TLS traffic to Firebase backends, so anonymity is strong against the server but not absolute against your network operator. - **Can the company read my messages?** — No. Messages are encrypted on the sender device with a key derived from the shared code; only ciphertext reaches the server. Without the code, neither Teamz Lab, Google, nor any third party can decrypt them. - **Can online chat be traced?** — On NoTrace Chat the message body cannot, because it is end-to-end encrypted with a key the server never sees. Metadata (timestamp, ciphertext length, IP for the TLS connection) can still be observed. - **Is there an account?** — No. There is nothing to sign up for, no email, no phone, no password. - **What if I lose the code?** — The encryption key is derived from the code. If the code is lost, the messages cannot be decrypted by anyone, including you. - **Is there a Signal alternative without a phone number?** — Yes. NoTrace Chat is a free Signal alternative that does not require a phone number, an email, or any account. ## Contact - Publisher: [Teamz Lab](https://teamzlab.com/) - Support: teamz.lab.contact@gmail.com ## Optional - [Sitemap](https://notracechat.teamzlab.com/sitemap.xml) - [robots.txt](https://notracechat.teamzlab.com/robots.txt) - [Full LLM-friendly reference](https://notracechat.teamzlab.com/llms-full.txt)